


Confidence: An Isabella Yang Story

by Nara



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Primadonna Zine, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 01:25:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18400295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nara/pseuds/Nara
Summary: Isabella Yang fell in love with figure skating when she saw Jean-Jacques Leroy at an exhibition.And if she picked up a little bit of his JJ Style before she even met him? Well, they say that confidence is the key to success.Written for the Yuri!!! on Ice Primadonna zine.





	Confidence: An Isabella Yang Story

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty much my first time writing a yuri on ice fic that ISN'T about Viktor and Yuuri, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> My interpretation of JJ is a little different than what the general fandom interpretation of JJ is - sure, he is absolutely a pompous, overconfident jerk. But I absolutely believes he does it to hide his anxiety and insecurities about being not good enough. And we barely get to know Isabella at all. So how they first came together - that's what I tried to write here.

~~~~

A young Isabella Yang sits at her mother’s dressing table, poking at the makeup as her mother gets ready for the day. “What’s this one? I want to try!” She pulls a tube of lipstick towards herself.

Her mother chuckles, “That’s lipstick. This one is a dark red. It’s a little too mature for you, I think.”

Isabella puffs out her cheeks, then pouts, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m mature!”

“Very mature,” her mother assures and Isabella nods her head, satisfied. Her mother pulls out a different tube of lipstick and uncaps it. “Let’s try this one, okay? Now part your lips a little.”

Isabella makes a kissy face, sticking out her lips and her mother shakes her head, but applies the lipstick. “What do you think, dear?”

Isabella scrambles to her knees on the bench and leans forward to get a better look in the mirror. She gasps. “I’m so pretty!”

Her mother smiles and smoothes Isabella’s hair. “You most certainly are.”

Isabella spends the rest of the day with her head held high, asking her mother to re-apply the lipstick after it wears off when she eats. She doesn’t quite have the words to explain it, but she feels proud, more confident. Isabella feels ready to take on the day, and all that comes with it.

~~~~

Isabella wrapped her scarf around her neck and hurried to the front hall where her family was waiting. 

“Bella! Bella! Aren’t you excited to see the skaters?” Isabella’s younger sister clapped her hands together.

Isabella gave her a smile. “Sure! It should be fun, yeah?”

Isabella wasn’t sure how she felt about figure skating, but she was excited for the upcoming Olympics in Sochi. Her parents had managed to get tickets to a promotional tour for the Canadian team at one of the local ice rinks in Ontario. She had heard that both the junior and senior skaters would be on the tour, even if only a few of them were on the Olympic team. But her sister was excited, and it should be a good show, so Isabella figured it would all be worthwhile.

The Yang family arrived at the ice rink a little early, so they settled in to wait. It wasn’t long before the youngest Yang was squirming.

“Moooom! I want a hot dog!”

“We’re already seated, and the show will start soon. You don’t want to miss anything, do you?”

The young girl pouted. “But I want a hot dog! Pleeeeeaaaase?”

Isabella stood up. “I’ll get her one. Don’t worry about it.”

Climbing over the seats, Isabella picked her way through the crowd. As she passed a narrow corridor, she heard the sound of quiet crying. Pausing, Isabella wondered if she should stop to help. Someone might be hurt, or it may be a lost child. As she made up her mind to go and check, a door opened at the other end of the hall. Peeking down, she saw a boy about her age kneeling down to talk to a crying child sitting by the wall. 

“Hey, Michael. C’mon, the show’s about to start, and you’re in the opening skate! Everyone’s looking for you!”

The kid - Michael - started crying harder.

The older boy seemed taken aback. “H-hey, what’s wrong?”

Michael sniffled. “I’m scared! JJ, what if I fall? I’m not good enough to be here!”

The older boy shifted so he was sitting down and put his hand on Michael’s shoulder. “What makes you say that?”

“I’m the youngest here! Camilla is the next youngest, but even she’s 12! Some people have been skating longer than I’ve been alive! I’ll fall and then I’ll be an embarrassment to Canada and I’ll never even make it to juniors and…” Michael’s eyes began welling with tears again. 

“Breathe, Michael. You want to know what I think?”

Michael nodded hesitantly.

“I think you’re a super-awesome skater! You’re only 8, right? And you’re already training for the Grand Prix circuit, and you’re so good, that the whole Canadian Olympic team wants you to skate in their ice show! That’s gotta count for something, yeah? Look, no one is expecting you to be as good as one of the Olympians, or me, or even Camilla. You’re a kid, kid. Do you like skating?”

Michael answered immediately, “Of course!”

The older boy’s answering smile was blinding, even from where Isabella was peeking from around the corridor. “Then smile, Michael, and skate your heart out!” He stood up, and offered his hand to the kid. After Michael got to his feet, the older boy made a strange hand gesture and continued, “Confidence! And skating your heart out! That’s JJ Style!”

The young boy laughed and together they walked out the door at the other end of the hallway. Isabella put her finger to her lips and smiled. She didn’t know what “JJ Style” was, but the older boy seemed like a good friend to the younger skater. She was excited to see what they could do on the ice.

Checking her watch, Isabella hurried to concessions to grab her sister a hot dog, and then made her way back to her seat. Her mother smiled as she handed her sister the snack. “Everything okay? You took a long time.”

“Uh, it was a long line” Isabella said.

Isabella’s mother nodded as the lights dimmed and the show began. Isabella watched as a large group of skaters took the ice, including Michael and the other boy she had seen earlier. The skaters twisted around each other, gracefully sliding across the ice, deftly avoiding one another, even when doing complicated jumps. Isabella was glad to see that Michael didn’t fall even once. She felt unreasonably proud, even though she didn’t know the boy personally. After the group routine finished, all the skaters moved off the ice, except little Michael, who skated around in a circle, raising his hand in greeting. The announcer boomed over the loudspeaker.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Canadian Stars on Ice! Tonight we have a special show for you. From our youngest skater to our seasoned Olympians, everyone has their own routine. Please give a warm round of applause to our first skater, Michael Zander!”

The crowd roared as Michael took his starting position. He skated elegantly, doing single jumps that Isabella couldn’t quite tell apart, and other moves that she recognized, but couldn’t name. When he finished, she cheered loudly. Though she wasn’t that into figure skating, she hoped she would see Michael perform at the Olympics in the future.

After a few more young skaters, including the girl Camilla that she had heard Michael mention, the elite junior skaters began their routines. At this level, it was clear that the figure skaters had some serious skills. After a pair of junior ice dancers exited the rink, Isabella recognized the next skater to come on as the boy who had been cheering up Michael. He skated a lap around the ice, making the same strange hand gesture that he had made earlier. As he took his starting position center-ice, the announced came over the loudspeaker.

“Now please welcome our 2015 Junior Grand Prix Champion Jean-Jacques Leroy! Jean-Jacques will be skating his medal winning short program from this past season.”

As he began his skate, Isabella noticed a musicality that wasn’t present yet in the younger skaters or other juniors. She watched as he flew across the ice, jumping high with a number of rotations she couldn’t keep track of. Jean-Jacques was her age, and he skated with a grace and power that seemed unmatched by his peers. He was beautiful, and Isabella fell in love instantly. The kind boy that helped out a younger skater and the powerful performer on the ice in front of her - Isabella knew this would be a night she would never forget.

As his skate came to a close, Isabella almost forgot to clap, stunned as she was. She watched the rest of the ice show in somewhat of a daze, recognizing the artistry and skill of the Olympians and senior skaters, but knowing beyond a doubt that Jean-Jacques would one day join them. They may have been more skilled than he was now, but that boy was going to be a monster in the world of figure skating, and Isabella needed to know more.

Arriving at home, Isabella bid her parents and sister good night. Sbe climbed the stairs to her room and settled on her bed with her laptop. She tabbed open wikipedia and a link to a skating fan forum where she had seen a compilation of JJ’s competition costumes. She got the feeling it was going to be a long night of research.

~~~~

Isabella fixed her makeup in the small mirror she kept in her locker. She hid the bags under her eyes and touched up her lipstick, fluffing up her hair so it had a little bounce. She ran her fingers lightly over the print-out of JJ from his 2014 free skate that she had just put up with a magnet. Winking at her reflection and blowing a kiss, Isabella closed her locker. Maybe she was a little obsessed, but she had just gotten into figure skating. She was allowed a period of obsession. She was sure it would fade a little with time. Maybe.

“So who’s the guy? Figure skater? That thing you went to yesterday must have made a real impression.”

Isabella whirled on her friend who had snuck up on her. “What?”

“That picture in your locker. You never had any celebrities or boyfriends or any decorations, really, besides that mirror. And he was in a weird costume. Figure skater, right?”

Isabella picked up her backpack from the floor and shouldered it as she began to walk down the hall. “Yeah? So? I’m allowed.”

Her friend held up her hands in supplication, “Yeah, yeah. I was just wondering! You’re into weird things sometimes. It’s not even the Olympics yet and you’ve got this figure skater in your locker. No one cares about figure skating except at the Olympics. Actually, you know, I’ve never known you to be into any celebrity or anything. Even when the rest of us were like, into Drake because he was on  _ Degrassi  _ and then became a really big thing. Or when our little sisters were into Justin Bieber.”

Isabella scrunched up her nose. “You really want me to be into Justin Bieber?” Her friend laughed and Isabella continued, “So I’m into figure skating right now. I repeat, so? Maybe it’ll fade after the Olympics. But for now, JJ is cute and talented, and I saw him at the ice show and he’s our age and he seemed really nice too!”

“How do you know he’s nice? You don’t know him. Maybe he’s just pretty.”

Isabella stayed quiet, choosing not to reveal the intimate moment she had spied on between JJ and the younger skater. “I dunno. He seems like he would be nice.”

Her friend smiled and leaned in. “You know I’m just giving you a hard time. It’s my duty as a friend to interrogate and tease you about any and all crushes, celebrity or otherwise. I’m glad you’re into this thing.”

Isabella blushed to the tips of her ears. “It’s not a crush. I don’t know him!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re allowed to crush on guys you don’t know. It’s a thing. C’mon, let’s get to class.”

Isabella followed her friend, still blushing.

~~~~

Isabella walked out of the arena after the men’s short program with some of the other JJ Girls, adjusting her sign under her arm. The congregated around one of the entrances, hoping to catch a glimpse of JJ before he disappeared or had to talk to the press.

“Hey girls! Who are you here supporting?”

They turned to find a reporter from a small local news station walking in their direction with a camera. Immediately brightening the girls flipped their signs so they were facing the reporter. “We’re JJ Girls!”

The reporter and the cameraman smiled. “We’re doing a little story on some of the fans who come out to see the skaters. Nothing big, we’re going live in a minute, so you would have to keep it clean, but would you mind if we asked you a couple of questions?”

Excitedly nodding their assent, the girls let the reporter arrange them so they were facing the camera properly and signalled for the cameraman to start rolling. “News Channel Four, my name is Dick Robinson and we’re here with some fans at Skate Canada. Ladies, who are you rooting for?”

One of Isabella’s friends grinned, “Jean-Jacques Leroy! Definitely the best skater out there. Watch out for him in the senior division next year!”

The reporter laughed, “Can you tell me why you like him so much?”

Choruses of “he’s talented!” “he’s cute” and “his confidence is incredible!”  as each girl contributed a generic answer. Isabella smiled and nodded along until it was her turn. She cleared her throat.

“I fell in love with JJ when I went to see an ice show promoting the Olympics last year with my family. I was getting my sister a hot dog when I heard a kid crying. I saw it was a young skater. JJ - though I didn’t know it was him at the time - came out to find the kid and gave him a pep talk and some confidence. It was...really sweet. And though I probably shouldn’t have listened in on their conversation, I felt like I got to see something special. And then when I saw JJ actually skate, I was blown away. A lot of people think he’s just bluster, that his confidence is arrogance, and he won’t make it. But even before I knew who he was, I saw a kind boy who loved skating. And I think that’s the most important thing.”

The other girls and the reporter stared at Isabella, a little unsure of what to say. The reporter said, “Why don’t you think JJ shows that side to his fans more often?”

Isabella shook her head, “I think he does, in the little things. He always stops to talk if you see him, and I think part of that blustering confidence is meant to distract from anxiety, both for himself, and for some of the other skaters. If the cameras are focused on posturing, they won’t hyper-analyze him or his rinkmates. I can’t say that for certain, I don’t really know him. But he seems like a great guy.”

The reporter nodded his head and turned to face the camera, “Well there you have it! A surprising story and a soft side from JJ Leroy and his fans. Anything else to say?”

Again, the other girls chorused “We love you JJ!” and “Good luck!” but Isabella was feeling emboldened. She actually reached out and took the microphone from the reporter. His protest died on his lips as she began to speak.

“Hey JJ, if you see this, and you’re looking for a girlfriend, call me!” She winked at the camera. “My name is Isabella Yang and I think you’re cool.”

Isabella’s friends gaped. “You can’t just say something like that!”

Isabella laughed, “I can and I did!” She turned back to the camera and made JJ’s signature hand signal. “Confidence! That’s JJ Style!”

The cameraman stifled a laugh as Isabella handed the reporter back his microphone. Shaking his head, the reporter plastered a camera-ready smile on his face. “You heard it here, folks! A proposition for the ages. Well, that’s all from me for now. News Channel Four, this is Dick Robinson signing out.”

“And we’re clear.” As the cameraman lowered the camera, the reporter turned back to the JJ Girls. “Thanks for an interesting interview, ladies. Enjoy the rest of the event.”

As he walked away, Isabella heard him mutter, “I knew we shouldn’t have done this live” and she hid a smile behind her hand. 

Immediately crowding around her, Isabella’s friends all started talking at once. “Isabella, what did you do?” “I want to be JJ’s girlfriend!” “What were you thinking?” “That was hilarious oh my god.”

Isabella lowered her hand. “Hey, you don’t know if you don’t try, right?” She smiled wider, linking her arms with her friends. “Now come on, let’s go get some food.”

They walked out of the arena, still marveling at Isabella’s boldness. Isabella herself wondered where that brief burst of confidence came from. Her mother might say it was the red string of fate tugging on her little finger. Isabella would say that it was just JJ Style.

~~~~

Later that evening, as Isabella was getting ready for bed, her little sister burst into her room. “Bella! Bella! You’ve gone viral!”

Isabella paled. “I’ve gone what now?”

Shoving her phone in Isabella’s face, the young girl pressed play on a video. Isabella heard her own voice come from the tinny speakers. “Confidence! That’s JJ Style!”

Isabella groaned, pushing her sister’s phone away, but not before glancing at the view count. It was 700k views and climbing. That was a lot, especially for a sport as niche as figure skating.

“Thirsty Fan Asks Skater Jean-Jacques Leroy For A Date” her sister read, scrolling down the related videos on YouTube. “Ooh! There’s a remix here of you saying ‘JJ Style’ interspersed with JJ saying ‘JJ Style’ - you have to admit, that’s pretty funny!”

Isabella flopped down on her bed face first. She was a meme. People in her school may have seen this. She was going to call out sick on Monday.

“Oh my god,” Isabella’s sister began shrieking, “OH MY GOD!”

“What?” Isabella asked, voice muffled by her pillow.

“There’s a new video that JJ’s official Twitter just put out. He responded to you. BELLA, OH MY GOD, JJ RESPONDED TO YOU!”

Isabella sat up so quickly her head spun and she snatched the phone out of her sister’s hand. “What?! What does it say?”

Her sister started jumping up and down. “I don’t know! Watch it! Watch it!”

Isabella pressed play on the video, excitement and dread pooling in her gut. Even if he told her to fuck off, at least he responded, right? That’s what Isabella told herself as she stared at the tiny JJ on the screen. He was sitting in a backwards facing chair, grinning at the camera. “Isabella Yang! Thanks for the kind words! Though I have to say, ‘girlfriend’ might be a little too far.” He winked and Isabella flushed, embarrassed. What had she been thinking? There was a dramatic pause in the video, and Isabella thought it might be over, when JJ continued. “How about a date, first? DM me a video, so I know it’s you. Because you’re right. Confidence is definitely JJ Style!” He grinned widely and made his signature hand gesture before the video faded out.

Isabella dropped the phone on her bed. She was silent for a moment, then she started screaming.

She had to send JJ a message. She was going to go on a date with Jean-Jacques Leroy. She had to send him a message. But she would do that tomorrow, after she calmed down a little. But what if he didn’t respond? What if this was all some sort of a publicity stunt and he was just teasing her? What if he agreed to go on a date but that turned out he was a jerk after all? There were a lot of possibilities, but even so, Isabella was excited.

She grabbed her pillow and hid her face in it, as her sister rushed off to share the news with their parents. Isabella gripped the pillow tightly and smiled so wide her jaw hurt. Perhaps her mother was right about the red string of fate.

~~~~ 

Isabella was nervous. Not only was she meeting JJ for the first time, but she was going on a date with him. She really wasn’t sure if it was for the publicity or for his ego or if he was genuinely interested, but still, he was going to be there. She was going to meet him. Isabella had arrived at the café a half an hour early and sat at a secluded table in the back, facing the door. As the hour approached, Isabella began bouncing her leg. What would he be like in person? Would she even like him after talking to him? Would he be real with her, or just put on his public persona?

The bell above the door rang. JJ strolled in with an easy confidence and took a look around the café. Isabella raised her hand hesitantly and waved. When JJ spotted her, his eyes lit up in recognition. She blushed as he took the seat across from her, holding out his hand for her to shake.

“Isabella Yang! A pleasure to meet you.”

“You-you as well! I’m a, a huge fan! But I guess you knew that already...sorry! I’m nervous!” Isabella stammered, looking down at the table. She cursed herself, what a first impression. 

JJ laughed, and his gaze softened. “There’s no need to be nervous, but I appreciate the honesty. You’re a very direct person, aren’t you?”

Isabella looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”

“Well, with the interview, you just came out and said what you wanted. Which was me!” he laughed again, “And just now, you admitted to nervousness, which, while it makes sense, is not necessarily something one would admit to. Maybe you would try to be suave, but I like that you’re so direct.”

Isabella offered a small smile. “You’re very observant.”

“I know how to read a room, though sometimes, I pretend not to. Being loud and boisterous throws the other competitors off, makes them think I’m not a threat. But then I can back up my boasts with skills. It shakes them.”

Delighted, Isabella leaned forward. “I knew it! Well, not that exactly. But I knew you were doing a thing, and you weren’t totally an airhead!” Realizing what she said, Isabella backtracked, “Not that you’re an airhead at all! Just your persona…” she trailed off as JJ grinned.

“No, that’s exactly what I’m like. And like I said, I like when you’re direct.”

Isabella took a moment and held JJ’s gaze. She rested her chin on folded hands. “So,” she began, “in the interest of being direct, why are you really doing this?”

JJ looked down with an uncharacteristic frown. “I don’t...I don’t really know. I mean, sure. Part of it is publicity. Part of it is I thought your stunt was cool. But part of it was...you told a story about seeing me comfort a younger skater. I don’t even remember doing that. Sometimes, it feels like I get lost in all the pressure and the bravado. I’m...I’m not sure who I am anymore.” He sighed, running his hand over his face. “I’m sorry. You’re not here for that. You’re here for a pleasant date. Would you like some coffee?” His grin was back, but Isabella could tell that it was slightly forced. 

She reached forward and took his hand. “Please,” she said, “Please let me see who you really are. I’d like to know the real JJ. I already know the skater, and I’d like to say I’m his biggest fan.”

JJ frowned again. “Why would you want that? This isn’t...this isn’t some sort of play, is it?”

Isabella squeezed his hand tightly, surprised at the connection she felt in spite of not really knowing the man who sat in front of her. “It’s not. Not that you can believe me, you don’t know me. But I fell in love with you when I saw you talk to that younger skater. And as embarrassing as it was to say, I meant it when I said on camera that I would be your girlfriend. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. I have the advantage because you’re a public figure, but I can already tell that’s not the real you. And that’s what dating is about, isn’t it? Getting to know someone. Take the chance, JJ.”

Isabella held her breath after her bold confession. She wasn’t sure how JJ would react. She was surprised at how vulnerable he was being with her, not knowing her at all, not knowing whether she would take this and run to the press. But she knew, even if he walked away from her now, she would never betray this man’s trust.

After a long moment, JJ squeezed Isabella’s hand back. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’d like to get to know you. And I’d like you to get to know me. And maybe this will work or maybe this won’t...but I think...I think I’d at least like a friend. The real me is under a lot of pressure and I can’t promise I’ll always hold it together. But I know I will always do my best, and I will continue to win and to make you and all my fans proud. Because that,” he smiled, “is JJ Style!”

Isabella responded to his smile with one of her own. Though she didn’t know it yet, she would watch this man grow as a person and a skater. She would watch him reach his highest peaks and his lowest valleys. And she would stay by his side. One day, she would marry him and together they could face anything.

Confidence, friendship, and love. That was something she could do.


End file.
